The Russian Mafia

Private Protection in a New Market Economy

Federico Varese

Based on in depth interviews with the Mafia, criminals and officials, archival documents, and reports from undercover police operations

Comparative study making references to other Mafias (the Japanese Yakuza, the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, American-Italian Mafia and the Hong Kong Triads).

The Russian Mafia

Private Protection in a New Market Economy

Federico Varese

Description

Challenging widely held views, this book presents a thorough account of the Russian Mafia. It charts the emergence of the group in the context of the transition to the market, the privatization of protection, and pervasive corruption. It includes reports of undercover police operations, in-depth interviews conducted over several years with the victims of the Mafia, criminals and officials, and documents from the Gulag archives. It also provides a comparative study, making references to other Mafia, such as the Japanese Yakuza, the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, and the American-Italian Mafia.

The Russian Mafia

Private Protection in a New Market Economy

Federico Varese

Table of Contents

IntroductionI. The Transition to the Market and Protection in Russia 1. The Transition to the Market2. The State as Supplier of Protection3. Varieties of ProtectorsII. Private protection in Perm 4. Searching for Protection5. The Contract and the SericesIII. The Russian Mafia 6. The Mafia in Perm7. Mafia Ancestors8. The Rusian mafiaConclusion

The Russian Mafia

Private Protection in a New Market Economy

Federico Varese

Reviews and Awards

Co-winner, Ed A. Hewett Book Prize, American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies

"Headlines on Russian organized crime appear regularly in the Western Press and carry alarming messages [] Now we finally have a sober, scholarly account. Unlike headline writers, Varese is cautious about the use of the term 'Mafia'. [] The history of the vory-v-zakone is fascinating."--Alena Alena Ledeneva, Times Literary Supplement

"In his scholarly study, Varese systematically surveys the source of the problem, inventories the origins and resources of those groups providing protection, and then describes the way the relationship works. At the core of his book is an elaborate case study of the city of Perm, where he spent months working with police records, conducting interviews, and collecting newspaper stories." --Robert Legvold, Foreign Affairs